I'm going to buy some "quality" paint for some customs but I'd like some of your opinions first! So far the most suggested have been Testors and Tamiya paints so I'm going to buy a few bottles of each and see what I like more. Where do you all buy your paints? What are the main sites to order online? What stores carry these paints?

I usually pickup alot of mine at Wal Mart. I also sometimes don't use paint but instead use fingernail polish. They have some awesome metalic colors and hard as nails cover with a hardening apoxy that can really add durability to customs.

Nail polish, that makes sense since that stuff is made to last And those metallics are way cheaper than normal paint.

I went to Wal-Mart awhile ago and they had a bunch of Testors paints for 1 dollar for 1/4 oz bottles. I was going to buy a handful and then realized they were all enamel not acrylic. I went over to a Michael's art store and they had a whole section dedicated to Testors paints! I was going to buy lots for 1.25 per little bottle and then realized they were all enamels too! Where has all the acrylic gone! The only acrylic Testors they sold was in a $20 box set and it only had white and black in acrylic and everything else was enamel again! I just bought some other random larger bottles of acrylic paint and turns out they work just as well as the "good" paints.

I don't understand why some paints are more expensive than others when they have the same consistency and work exactly the same way.

GO to the crafts section at Wal Mart. They have tons of acrylic paints and for cheap anywhere from .49 to $1.50 for a large bottle. Just be sure to buy the sealer. It cost about 2.99 for a can. and the sealer comes in either gloss or no gloss.

I have no idea! But that stuff is awesome. Just look at any old figures you may have, the paint never comes off unless you hit it with a chisel, ha. Maybe each toy company has their own secret paint formula and refuse to share it...

WARHAMMER PAINTS AND MATT SEALENT
Thats the best ive found after trying all thats been mentioned. i like the finger nail polish hardner and will try that on the key joints with light coats..thanks for that tip......yeah so the warhammer paints are the go for me, gota have the matt sealent for it to go awwsumm.thier a bit more in cash pocket but they are worth it... still a good topic..need more tips please.........

I like discussing painting tips because really, there are no custom action figure painting tutorials out there. Everything gets generalized with "dry-brushing". I'm still considering an airbrush to try out later on...

Shinobitron, how about you make a tutorial explaining how to use the nail polish hardener?

Citadel colour has the games workshop paints, which are the warhammer paints. You will find them at any place that caters for warhammer[game center] ..... I first spray the fig lightly with " PURITY SEAL, matt varnish" which produces a nice foundation that the rest of the work will stick to. Then after I am happy with the colours i put another coat of "Purity seal". Later on I may use "ardcoat", the gloss bottle they sell which will highlight any parts that need to be shiny so theres no need to worry bout the whole fig being matt.
I also like the walmart acrylics for doing heavy paint work in the dioramas, the old styrafom cut out of a damaged brick wall, and debrie. I am in the process of getting ideas for my new projects... Punisher, Conan/Gladiators,Cable and sci fi friends....so mabey i will have some pics soon, everything is all over my desk at the moment... here is a few custom dudes from my conan mob ..

and this is what warhammer paints can do with the awwsum "flesh wash"works filth withe spawn line, just based with "elf flesh" the brushed "flesh wash" all over and it went into all the little cracks.. i never sealed this one..and the conan ones before arent that great, but something to show ya................